The field of the present disclosure relates to operating methods and techniques for systems employing electronic identification tags such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. In particular, methods and apparatus are described herein for improving and facilitating operation of electronic tag and RFID reading systems.
RFID interrogators use electromagnetic energy as a medium through which to send information. Typically, RFID tags are affixed to various articles for allowing identification of items in a sales transaction or tracking movement of the articles through a warehouse location. In a typical RFID tag system, the components forming the interrogator are a receiver, a transmitter, an antenna, a microprocessor and memory. Through the use of the interrogator, RFID tags are enabled to receive, store and transmit article-identifying data without manual handling operations. RFID tags may be read-only or read-write. Passive RFID tags may be implemented without an internal power source and draw their power from the radio frequency (RF) energy transmitted from the reader. Active RFID tags may include a power source such as a battery. RFID tags may be low or high frequency depending on the applications.
Existing RFID systems do not provide feedback to the user of an RFID reader to indicate whether or not the user completely covered an inventory area. The present inventors have recognized that it may be advantageous for a user to know what the RFID antenna coverage area is, so that the user may completely cover an inventory area. For applications with multiple inventory items such as in a warehouse, existing RFID systems provide no indication whether all swept RFID tags have been read.
The present inventors have recognized the desirability of providing methods and systems in the operation of RFID reading systems for improving operational efficiency and inventory monitoring performance.